Last Spark
by dorenamryn
Summary: In the final battle on the second Death Star, Luke defeats Vader and Palpatine, but something feels off. Then Luke finds that Vader was his father and in his grief he himself turns to the Dark Side and declares himself Emperor. Meanwhile, Yoda and Obi-Wan bring Anakin back to save his son from the same fate he suffered. AU; Bespin never happened, rated K but may be T further in.
1. Chapter 1

**LAST SPARK**

 _and as he saw what he had done, his last spark of hope was snuffed out, leaving only death and darkness in its wake_

 **...**

 _Chapter I_

He had sensed something was off since he had first stepped on the second Death Star, but he'd shoved his suspicions away, for there was a mission at hand.

He would kill and destroy the man who had murdered his father, as well as the ruthless Emperor.

Luke was lead through the halls by Vader, to the Throne Room. To meet the Emperor. Luke grinned inwardly. The Alliance's plan was working. The fleet would be out of hyperspace any minute now, and then the Death Star would be destroyed, by which point Luke would already be at the rendezvous.

Coming back to the present, he looked ahead, just as the Emperor himself came into view.

 _Well he wouldn't be Emperor much longer_ , Luke thought. The Republic would be rebuilt and the Senate reinstated. The galaxy would go back to the great and prosperous place it had been before the Empire, before even the Clone Wars themselves. Luke would rebuild the Jedi order.

"Well, well, well," the Emperor cackled gleefully. His plan was going to work. The boy did not know of his heritage and was still under the illusion that the foolish Jedi Master Kenobi had put him under. "Go ahead, Vader, kill him. You know what we do to members of the Rebel Alliance."

Palpatine knew Vader wouldn't kill Luke. He was far too weak for that, and Luke was fuelled by his anger, becoming weak minded and able to be easily manipulated just like his father.

Luke took out his lightsaber. His father's lightsaber. _This is for you, father._ The blue blade glowed to life. Vader took out his own blade, but slower. He began on the offence, springing at Luke with a surprising amount of agility.

Luke was not wavered. He slowly overpowered Vader, his anger fuelling his power. _This was the man who had killed his father, who had betrayed and then murdered him_. Soon Luke's defence became an aggressive offence, his face stone and his eyes burning with hate for the man he was fighting.

Vader looked into his son's eyes, and saw hate. Hate and power that actually rivalled his own. It was directed at him, and almost too much to bear. He continued on the defence, knowing that if he killed his son, he would kill himself for it.

Yes, he had been a heartless monster for two decades, but after the discovery of his son, something had changed. He felt himself slipping backwards towards the Light. The funny thing was, he didn't even make a move to stop himself. He knew that Palpatine had lied to him about his wife's death, and that gave him anger. But he couldn't use that anger on his son. No, he would use it on Palpatine. Later.

He blocked a fatal strike from his son with his lightsaber. For the first time, he felt his mind come undone. He felt the spirit of Anakin destroying Vader in his mind.

And as Anakin returned, he felt himself drawing from the Light.

From the love he had for his son. From the love he had for Padmé, for Obi-Wan. And even though it was Obi-Wan who put him in the suit in the first place, and even though he'd later killed his former Master, Anakin knew he still loved him.

That man was a brother to him for years, and no matter what happened to their relationship when Anakin was Vader, Anakin's feelings for his brother remained unchanged.

He continued his defence.

Luke leaped back, away from Anakin's reach. The boy reached out with the Force and grabbed Anakin's red lightsaber from his hands. He held the two lightsabers and looked upon the man in the mask. He jumped, hoping to kill Vader in one swift move, but Anakin was expecting his move. Mimicking his son, Anakin reached out with the Force and his lightsaber was torn out of Luke's hands. Only when he held the blade, he realized that it was his blue blade, the blade that Obi-Wan had taken from him on Mustafar.

Seeing this, Luke's vision turned red. He feinted with his blade towards the man's leg, and just as Anakin reached out to block it, Luke's blade went for its true destination.

Anakin's chest. Unprotected. The red lightsaber tore through the armour and struck home.

As if in slow motion, Anakin fell, the shock only registering when he his the cold, hard, ground.

Struggling to breathe, he looked to the Light, welcoming him home. He had done what no Jedi had done before, he'd returned from the Dark Side. The Chosen One. _Ani_ … _You are strong and wise, Anakin, and I am very proud of you… No matter where you are, my love will be with you. Now be brave, and don't look back_ …

With one final breath, Anakin whispered his final word.

"Son."

And Anakin Skywalker was no more.

Meanwhile Luke stood over his kill looking down at the man who'd killed his father. But something was wrong. So, completely, terribly wrong. His blood was pounding in his ears, the Force was screaming, screeching in his head.

Above young Skywalker's turmoil, the Emperor cackled gleefully.

"Rise, Luke Skywalker," he said. The boy rose, bringing an eery smile to the Emperor's face.

"What do you know of your father, Skywalker?"

"Only that you and Vader murdered him," Luke spat, his anger erupting again as he charged at the Emperor. The evil man himself just smiled and shot lighting at Luke. The younger man was thrown back against Vader's body. The Force Lighting felt like a stab in the gut. Trying to rise, he fell back.

"Oh no, Skywalker," the Emperor grinned. "Your father wasn't killed by Vader. In fact, he was killed long after we had lost interest in him. For you see, young Skywalker, what that foolish Jedi told you was true from a certain point of view."

Luke raised his head sharply, or at least tried to.

"How— How do you know.. Ben?" He stuttered.

"Oh, I know all about that particular Jedi, and his mind tricks," the Emperor said. "For on the night the Empire was born, Anakin Skywalker had indeed died, in his own mind. Then he was replaced, with Vader."

Palpatine's words took a moment to register in Luke's head and then they hit him like a stab in the back. He looked to Vader in horror and then it all fell into place. Vader's hesitancy to kill him, the Force screaming in his head, the way Vader had summoned the blue lightsaber. For it was his, from when he was a Jedi, part of the Light. And then Luke realized. He'd brought his father back from the Dark.

And then he'd killed him.

 _He'd killed him_.

Palpatine's laugh was cut short as he found a blood red lightsaber in his chest. The boy had stood up and stabbed him. He looked into the youth's eyes and felt real fear seep into his being. Then he was decapitated.

Luke staggered back.

 _He'd killed him_.

His own father was dead, _at his hand_.

Luke fell to his knees beside his father's fallen body and screamed.

He screamed and sobbed. His tears built up and fell. His throat closed up and his voice became raw and ran out. Luke fell onto his father's body and wept. He shook, and the Force shook the rest of the room as well. He heard an explosion outside.

As if detached from his body, Luke's limbs moved of their own accord. They picked up Anakin's limp form and dragged it through the wreckage to the hangar. Luke's tears had dried out when they reached the shuttle. he dragged his father up the ramp and secured his body to a bunk before going to the pilot's chair. He started the ship, his face stoic, set in stone. They made it out just as the Death Star exploded in a ball of brilliant light. Luke flew towards Endor.

His soul was ripped to shreds.

* * *

Leia knew something was wrong when she finally noticed Luke making his way into the clearing.

His face was sunken and his eyes were dark. He had a lightsaber in his hands but Leia noticed it wasn't his. It was Vader's. Luke's own weapon was nowhere to be seen. He locked eyes with Leia, and then Leia saw the Darkness. Luke's self-hate.

What could have possibly happened?

Han, noticing Luke, ran over and reached to give his friend a hug. Before he could get within a foot of the young man, he was pushed back with the Force. Han looked to his friend in confusion and then noticed Luke's eyes.

"Luke what's wrong?" Han asked. "Come on, the Empire's crumbling, it's a time to celebrate!"

He tried to approach Luke again but Luke shot him an icy glare.

"The Empire is far from dead, Solo," Luke said coldly, unlike the Luke they'd known.

"What'd you mean, Luke?" Han said slowly.

"I am the Emperor now," he replied. Leia was confused.

"Luke, if Palpatine is dead, then Vader would be Emperor, and if Vader is dead, then no one would be Emperor. Vader didn't have an heir, Luke."

Luke smiled coldly.

"About that you are wrong, Leia Organa," he stated. "I am the son of Darth Vader. I saved him from himself and he returned to being the Jedi Anakin Skywalker. And then I killed him. I killed my own father. He didn't want to kill me, he didn't want to fight. I'm a worse monster than Vader ever was. And now, the Empire is mine."

* * *

Mon Mothma was down on Endor, enjoying the celebrations, when the disturbance started. It came from the bonfire of Solo and Organa. There was shouting, sobbing, and the sound of a lightsaber.

Mothma and the other Alliance leaders quickly made their way down to the scene but then stopped at the sight in front of them. In fact, everybody had stopped, including the Ewoks and even the droids.

For what greeted Mothma was a sight not even her worst nightmares could produce.

Luke Skywalker stood in the centre of the clearing, a red lightsaber glowing at his side. Leia, Han, Lando, and Chewie were all restrained by invisible bonds.

"You are all under arrest for treason against the Empire, and will be tried as members of the Rebel Alliance."

"On who's orders?" Yelled out Admiral Ackbar.

"On the Emperor's," said Luke icily, an evil grin adorning his once-kind features. "On mine."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **This is my first story on here, but I have written fanfiction before, so I know how it works. Anyway, please rate and review. The next chapter should be up soon :)**


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter II_

"Bantha crap," swore Obi-Wan from the tree line. He shook his translucent head as he watched Luke hold his three best friends hostage with the Force.

Yoda stood beside him, silent.

"Keeping the truth, wise was not," said the small green alien. "Consequences, dire are they."

Obi-Wan glared at Yoda.

"You do know that keeping the truth hidden was in fact your idea?"

"My mistake, that was."

"Clearly."

Yoda looked thoughtful.

"If turned to the Dark Side, Skywalker has, then help him, we cannot."

"Then what can we do, Master Yoda?" Asked Obi-Wan. "We can't bring his father back to life, can we? We are powerless. The galaxy will fall."

"Too much like Anakin, Luke Skywalker is. But bring back the father, perhaps we can," replied Yoda slowly. "Know of a way to separate from the Force, Qui-Gon Jinn does."

Obi-Wan spun his head to look at Yoda. "How?"

"To return from the Force, pure of heart, you must have. Required, a mission is."

Obi-Wan looked thoughtful. Anakin would want a chance to redeem himself further. He would want to be with his son, even though his son had turned into a ruthless ruler of the galaxy.

Unbeknownst to the two Jedi Masters, Anakin was in fact standing on the other side of the clearing, watching the events fold out. There were tears in his eyes, and pain as well.

How could he possibly help his son? The son who had brought him back to the light, who had saved his very soul? How could that pure-hearted man been turned into this monster? How?

Anakin didn't know, but he vowed to himself, if he could, he would be his son's saviour, just as his son had been his.

* * *

Leia, Han, Lando, and Chewie were being held by the Force. They couldn't move. They watched as the celebration grew silent at Luke's revelation.

Then, there was utter chaos.

"Well, what are we wait—"

"Kill him!"

"Traitor!"

Luke silenced the entire crowd with a wave of his hand.

"You will all be brought upon the _Executor_ , which is currently about to drop out of hyperspace right above this moon."

As per Luke's words, they saw Vader's flagship appear in the sky. Even from the ground, you could see the shining hull of the magnificent starship. Then, they saw shuttles departing from the huge ship, heading right towards them.

No one could make a sound as Stormtroopers dropped from the shuttles and surrounded the clearing, awaiting orders.

"Load the Rebels onto the shuttles," Luke commanded. "Search them for weapons and dispose of any you find."

The Stormtroopers sprung into action immediately. Luke let his friends go, staring at them all coldly as they were shoved none too gently into the shuttles that had just set down on the side of the clearing. Luke waved over the Commander, who was standing beside one of the shuttles, watching the procession and occasionally barking out an order.

"Commander, continue loading the prisoners. I am taking one of the shuttles back up to the _Executor_ ," Luke ordered. The Commander raised his hand to his helmet and left with a brief "Yes, Sir."

Luke then slipped into the fray, heading towards the shuttles. He boarded one of the still-empty ones and started up the lift-off sequence. Looking back down at the moon of Endor one more time, young Skywalker flew the shuttle back to the _Executor_.

* * *

Leia Organa's face remained stoic the entire time. She silently allowed herself to be led onto one of the shuttles by the troopers. She remained calm, but on the inside, she was a mess.

 _How could Luke do this? Was this even Luke? Where was her friend? What had happened on the Death Star?_

Questions surged through Leia's mind, but answers were not given. She watched the shuttle fill up, and when it did, the troopers went to the front and started up the ship. Leia stayed silent, while all of the other members of the Alliance talked and argued in hushed tones. She saw Mothma at the other end of the shuttle, and the two locked eyes for a moment, but then Leia looked away. She knew that Mothma knew that she and Luke were close. She knew Mothma wanted to ask, _how could you let this happen?_ But Leia didn't know how this had happened in the first place, what events had led to Luke's massive change.

She looked around and noticed that the troopers had put the Alliance High Command on one shuttle. From her position, Leia could spot Admiral Akbar, Mon Mothma, Madine, and others. Glancing to the floor, Leia felt her eyes water. She quickly wiped the forming tears with her hand and closed her eyes, trying to calm her rapid heartbeat. Not even an hour ago they were all celebrating the end of the war and the destruction of the Empire.

Now, Leia realized that they had just fallen into something much, _much_ worse.

Looking back up, she noticed that Mon Mothma had made her way over to Leia and now stood beside her. Meeting Mothma's eyes, Leia saw that they reflected her own. Scared and confused. They stood in silence for a while, still, as the other occupants of the shuttle slowly quieted down and accepted their fate, as clearly talking wouldn't do much now.

"Why would you think that Skywalker would do this?" Mothma finally said, looking to Leia. Leia didn't know how to answer.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully, purposely ignoring the fact that she had heard Luke say that he was apparently the son of Vader. "Everything seemed fine when we sent him off on that mission, so I'm assuming that something big had happened on the Death Star."

"Well whatever it was," Mothma pondered, her lips pursed. "It must have been severe. Skywalker was one of the most level-headed people I knew. Something that could change him like that, I'm almost afraid to wonder what it could have been."

Leia nodded, averting her eyes.

"Excuse me," she whispered to Mothma before slipping away from the rebel leader and back into the crowd.

* * *

Luke stood in his father's quarters on the _Executor_. They were pretty bare, with the occasional data pad lying on the desk, or a maybe a holo of some important Imperial recording. Walking around, Luke came to the large pod stood in a strategically-placed crook in the wall. Running his hands along the smooth surface, the name of the strange structure came to Luke. _Hyperbaric chamber_. The only place where his father could breathe freely. Luke couldn't help but wonder, how was his father injured? No one would choose to be in that suit on purpose. Ben had said that Vader had been more machine than man, but how had that come to be?

Luke roughly shoved the thoughts from his mind. His father was dead, and it was his fault. Well, he supposed it was also Ben Kenobi's, as he had told Luke that Vader had 'betrayed and murdered' his father. Suddenly, he felt a strong hate for the old Jedi Master. He had lied straight to Luke's face about his father, and it had led to his death.

Luke turned away from the pod and went to the viewport. He felt his anger for Kenobi rising and bristling, as if his feelings were a mad beast, stalking its prey. Luke closed his eyes.

This would do him no good.

He needed to let his anger out.

Someone was going to die.

Something told Luke that no, he shouldn't, but Luke wasn't one to follow rules. He was much like his father in that respect. He was above rules. A memory surfaced in the recesses of Luke's mind. He tried to push it back, push it away, but the memory was more powerful. It overtook him, and Luke's vision changed.

 _He was at the Lars homestead on Tatooine. More specifically, the garage. Owen had specifically told him that he was not allowed to work on his speeder after lights' out, but Luke had snuck into the garage anyway as soon as Owen had retired to his and Beru's room. Earlier that day, Luke had bought the speed capacitor that he'd been saving up for ages to buy, and he was far too excited to go to bed without installing it first._

 _So he'd snuck out and now he was sitting quietly on the garage floor with the capacitor and a wrench, his speeder in front of him._

 _Suddenly, the wrench fell out of his grasp and clanged against the side of the speeder._

 _Luke let out a string of curses at the loud noise and was about to pick up the wrench when the main lights in the garage flickered on. Oh, he was so screwed._

 _"_ _Luke," said Owen sternly, but a tad exasperatedly . "What have I told you about working on the speeder during lights' out?"_

 _Luke stood up and looked to the ground._

 _"_ _Sorry Uncle Owen," he said dejectedly. Owen sighed._

 _"_ _You are so much like your father," he said, shaking his head. "You Skywalker's never follow the rules."_

Thrown back to the present, Luke shook his head. He hated himself. How could he have not seen it? How had he been so blind?

 _His own father…_

Luke's expression was solemn, his fists clenched.

He was a monster.

* * *

Unknown to Luke, Anakin Skywalker's Force-ghost stood in a corner of the room he had spent the most of two decades in. Sadly, he couldn't show himself to his son, for his son was too engulfed by the Dark, and Anakin was powerless against his mind blocks. So the father could only stand in agony as the son went deeper and deeper into the Dark Side that had plagued his own life for more than twenty years.

The memories of his own crimes against the galaxy haunted Anakin, and he knew that they would never leave him, even in death. He couldn't let this become his son's fate, he wouldn't! He would find a way to save him, he would, for this was the one thing that he had done right. His son was the most important person to him in the galaxy. He was _hers_ , and his, and he was the most beautiful and precious thing that Anakin had ever set eyes upon.

And he would be the Jedi that Anakin couldn't be.

Luke Skywalker would be of the Light.

Anakin would make sure it was so, for if it wasn't, there would be no worse punishment than watching his son make all the mistakes he had.

For if it wasn't, then it would be a nightmare worse than death itself.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Please leave a review if you enjoyed! Also I don't have a beta, so constructive criticism is also okay. Anyway, hopefully the next chapter will be up within the week. I'm hoping to have weekly updates, but most likely I'll just update whenever I've got the opportunity. Also, I do know that the chapters aren't that long, but they will probably increase in length as I get more into the story, so don't worry.**


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter III_

Luke Skywalker stood on the bridge of the _Executor_ , watching the crew in front of him kneel down.

"Pledge your allegiance or be terminated," commanded Luke.

The troopers in the room saluted, as did the rest of the bridge crew. Admiral Piett, who stood beside him, nodded, as in regard to their earlier conversation.

 _A few hours earlier…_

 _"_ _Call Admiral Piett up here," Luke ordered the trooper that stood guard at the entrance to his quarters._

 _Soon enough, the Admiral was let into the room. Luke could tell he was nervous through the Force._

 _Piett looked at Luke's black-clad form, gazing out the viewport._

 _"_ _What can I do for you, my Lord?" Piett asked respectfully._

 _"_ _You were loyal to my father," Luke began, his gaze not turning from the stars through the glass. "I need to see if that loyalty has changed or not."_

 _Luke turned from the stars and fixed his cold gaze on Piett, who in turn, inwardly flinched at the younger man's stare._

 _"_ _Lord Vader always came first," said Piett carefully. He was treading on dangerous ground. "Then my men, then Emperor Palpatine. Since you are the Lord's heir, I swear allegiance to you above the others."_

 _Luke pursed his lips, analyzing Piett's answer._

 _"_ _Very well," he finally said. "Go back to the bridge. I will meet you there shortly. Once all the shuttles are back on board, set the ship's course for Coruscant."_

On the bridge, Luke nodded slightly in return to Piett.

"We will reach Coruscant at the end of the ship's day cycle. Shall I find anyone with any motive other than to serve the Empire, they will be dealt with swiftly and accordingly."

The undertone in the new Emperor's voice was warning. Serve the Empire, or die.

The crew stood up as Luke exited the room, resuming their positions at the main console. Luke went back to his quarters after that. He needed to calm down. His mind was a turbulent mess, his thoughts fleeting and unclear— _Leia? Han? What am I doing? Father? No, father's dead. I killed him, I killed him! Obi-Wan, no he'd dead too, no, Obi-Wan lied! Liar, liar, lies! Yoda, dead, incomplete teachings, dead, not enough, the anger, the hate, help!_ _No, I deserve this, I killed, I killed, I killed… Jedi? Sith? What is Light? Where's the line? What, where, help! I killed… I_ — his rage and hate— _this is all Obi-Wan's fault! Father?_ — simmering, his memories— _Tatooine, Biggs, pod-racing, Uncle Owen, Leia, Vader, Father, Obi-Wan, Wedge, Han, Chewie, the Falcon, sailing through the stars away from Tatooine, the Death Star, a lucky shot, saving Leia, father, Vader, death_ — rippling, his sanity, his sanity—

Nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Obi-Wan and Yoda approached Qui-Gon Jinn.

"You wish to bring Anakin back from the Force," he stated simply, not turning around to see the two Jedi Masters.

"Yes, Master Qui-Gon," replied Obi-Wan to his old master. "We've wronged him. We've wronged Luke. I'm sorry, Master, but we've failed. It is up to Anakin, if he is given the chance."

"Agree with Obi-Wan, I do," said Yoda. "Agree, do you, Master Qui-Gon?"

"Yes," nodded Qui-Gon, turning to face the two Jedi. "I do agree that Anakin should be sent back to help Luke. It would have been better if the two of you had told Luke the truth outright, but alas, what already happened cannot be changed. I've seen this coming for a while now. The prophecy of the Chosen One, finally fulfilled."

Qui-Gon Jinn looked weary.

"We can send him back, but we can't do anything more," Qui-Gon proclaimed. "It will truly be up to only Anakin. If he fails…"

The Jedi didn't need Qui-Gon to finish his sentence.

"How do we send him back?" Asked Obi-Wan. Yoda gazed thoughtfully up at Qui-Gon Jinn, waiting for his reply.

"We don't," said Qui-Gon. "The Force believes in second chances. Anakin has much guilt plaguing him. He cannot become one with the Force if his guilt still takes up most of the space in his mind. The Force can bring him back, but only Anakin has the power to make the decision on whether to go back or not. He must make a choice, which, if I am not mistaken, he already has."

"If so, that is," Yoda agreed. "Then help him, we cannot. His fate, in his hands, it is."

Soon enough, Yoda had left the master with his apprentice, claiming to have business elsewhere. The two Jedi stood on a cliff overlooking the Dune Sea, on Tatooine, where this entire mess had started, oh so long ago. They watched the twin suns set over the horizon, and they watched the stars pass over the cloud-less sky. Each man was in his own thoughts. It was Obi-Wan who spoke first.

"Do you think he could do it, Master? Could he bring Luke back?"

"I would expect nothing less of Ani," Qui-Gon said fondly, looking down at his former Padawan. "Luke is his son, after all. After everything that's happened over the past two decades, I know that Anakin would still do anything for the ones he loves."

Obi-Wan looked down.

"Even you, Obi-Wan," the older Jedi added. "He's gotten over his differences with you, Obi-Wan. He misses you, thinks that you probably can't even stand him anymore. You should go and visit him. He's hurting."

"Really?" Obi-Wan asks, looking up at Qui-Gon.

"Well of course," Qui-Gon said, chuckling. "You two were brothers. That's a bond not easily broken, however ruined you think it to be."

Obi-Wan nodded at his former master's words. He also missed Anakin greatly. It was lonely, the two decades he'd lived in solitude on Tatooine. Sometimes, when it had gotten particularly bad, Obi-Wan would look over his shoulder and throw an offhand comment directed at Anakin, but then he would remember that Anakin wasn't there, would never be there.

That had hurt. No matter how many times Obi-Wan had tried to deny his feelings about his former Padawan, they always broke through in the end. He knew deep within his heart that he loved Anakin, as a friend, as a brother, as the one person he knew he could trust more than anyone else.

For how do you simply forget the hundreds of hours of sparring? Watching Anakin build his first lightsaber? Remembering when he had become an official Jedi Knight? When he had taken on apprentice? Watching his best friend and brother grow up, raising him? Obi-Wan had tried to keep his memories at bay, but most of the time, they had taken over anyway. At that point, Obi-Wan didn't try to stop them.

But there were _so many_. Anakin teasing him, him teasing Anakin back. The countless times that Anakin had saved him from one peril or another. The feeling of euphoria when they fought side by side, as one. Anakin's flying…

Their final goodbye before he had departed for Utapau. Anakin's words…

 _"_ _Master, I've disappointed you. I have not been very appreciative of your training . . . I have been arrogant and I apologize . . . I've just been so frustrated with the Council. Your friendship means everything to me."_

 _Your friendship means everything to me_ , he had said.

 _"_ _Obi-Wan, may the Force be with you."_

 _"_ _Good-bye, old friend. May the Force be with you."_

Then Mustafar happened. The Empire happened. Before he knew it, he was walking away. Anakin's screams haunted him for years. Every waking moment he would see the fire, he would see the fire in Anakin's eyes as he burned. He had picked up Anakin's lightsaber, his life— _"This weapon is your life."_ — and he had walked away. No wonder Anakin had hated him. He mutilated him beyond repair, he didn't listen to Anakin's problems when it mattered. And he had paid dearly.

Oh, how dearly he'd payed. Looking into that black helmet, towards the man he'd called brother, looking to the armour that he himself had put Anakin in. Then the hiss of a lightsaber, then— nothing.

But the worst was when night came, when it was time to sleep. Nightmares haunted Obi-Wan, Mustafar, Padmé's death, Mustafar, Anakin's screams, Mustafar, seeing Anakin killing the younglings at the temple, Mustafar, Mustafar, _Mustafar_ —

Obi-Wan excused himself from Qui-Gon's presence, making his way away. He had to speak to Anakin. He wanted to, he _needed_ to.

He wanted back that bond they shared.

For without Anakin, he was dry and empty, devoid of life.

Yes, it had been years since they had had any form of relationship, but Obi-Wan couldn't believe, wouldn't believe, that that's all they would get. The goodbye they shared before Utapau, before the end, before the Empire, that would not be the end. Obi-Wan wouldn't allow it to be. He needed Anakin.

He needed his brother back.

* * *

Mon Mothma watched the Princess from a distance, thinking. She knew Leia was hurting, perhaps more than herself. Mothma was understanding, kind to most. She was a righteous leader, always believing in law and order and— second chances. Yes, Mon believed that people could make up for their past mistakes, and that everyone deserved a second chance. She'd taken in many former Imperials into the Alliance, and they'd been loyal.

But to Luke, Luke's betrayal, Mon Mothma wasn't sure how to react. He had seemed perfectly fine when they had briefed him for the mission. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Vader was on the Death Star, or maybe the Emperor had said something. Mon wouldn't be surprised. She was familiar with Palpatine's manipulation skills. And while she didn't know what exactly, she knew something had happened to break Luke.

Pulled out of her thoughts, Mothma saw one of the troopers say something into a comm. They must have been getting close to the Super Star Destroyer. She looked at Leia again and saw the young woman bring a hand to her face. Mothma looked away, once again lost in thought.

Leia, on the other hand, was done with her thoughts. Now, she was worried about Han, Chewie, and Lando. They'd been led to different shuttles in the fray, so Leia didn't know what had happened to them, or whether they were okay. Her mind was filled with worry for her friends.

She wanted to know what had happened, whether they were close to the _Executor_ , how long they would have to stay in this shuttle, where was Luke now, what was going to happen…

Leia hated to be left without information, and it wasn't like she could just go up to a Stormtrooper and ask, was it?

So instead, Leia was left with the waiting game. The other occupants of the shuttle had quieted down a while ago, now only an occasional whisper breaking the silence. Leia felt her thoughts wandering back to Luke. How had this happened? And while everything was going so well too. To think, they were so close to finally ending the war and restoring the Republic. Leia knew she could not let herself get captured. There was no doubt that once they were aboard, the _Executor_ would be headed to Coruscant. Then everyone in the Alliance would be tried and most probably sentenced to a public execution.

She needed out. _Now_.

Looking about the shuttle, Leia noted where the Stormtroopers were. The shuttle itself was quite normal, and the rebels were relatively free to walk around, as long as they steered clear of the two lines of troopers at the front and back of the space that the rebels were crowded in. There was more space behind and in front of the troopers, but they didn't let the rebels past, for obvious reasons.

Making her way towards the perimeter, Leia pressed herself against the wall. Because of her small frame, she could duck down between people and not be noticed. Silently, she ducked down and pressed herself more firmly against the wall. The troopers were looking at the crowd and not outside of it. If Leia could slip between the wall and one of the troopers, she would be free. Well, relatively. Holding her breath, she slipped past the trooper through the small place between the white armour and the wall. Surprisingly, she wasn't noticed. Leia figured that the Force might have had something to do with her stealthy escape. Of course, she wasn't free yet. Leia crouched down and made her way to the vent she had spotted. Silently removing the grate, she crawled into the small space and put the grate back with no sound and nimble fingers.

As a plan formulated inside Leia's head, she whispered a silent apology to the friends she was leaving to the mercy of the Empire.

 _I'm sorry._

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hope you all enjoyed that chapter. Just to clear things up a bit, no, Leia obviously doesn't know that she's Luke's sister, but she does know that she is Force-sensitive. Also, Luke doesn't train with Yoda for as long as he did in ESB before Bespin. In this story, Luke gets trained by Yoda for a bit but then instead of leaving to save his friends on Bespin, Yoda dies, and that leaves Luke with no choice but to return to the Alliance. That's all, so please leave a review and the next chapter should be up soon.**


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter IV_

The shuttles containing the Rebel Alliance had reached the _Executor_.

"Shuttle Silver 6, make your way to Bay 4," a voice rang out over the comm. The pilot turned the vessel towards another part of the awesome ship.

"Copy," he replied, letting the tractor beam do the rest of the work. The ship was slowly pulled into the hangar bay, its landing gears extended. With a light thump, the ship settled.

The rebels inside the shuttle that contained the Alliance High Command looked to the troopers, who were starting to move everyone into a more bunched group in the centre of the shuttle. Mon Mothma looked around, trying to spot the Princess, but Leia was nowhere to be seen. Assuming that Leia had just been caught up in a different part of the crowd, Mon stopped looking around and instead glanced towards the ramp, which was slowly lowering.

When the metal pathway hit the floor, the troopers started to shove everybody out of the shuttle. There were scuffles and a few yells to be heard as the troopers pushed the group from the back, and none too gently.

Leia held her breath as she saw the boots of the Stormtroopers and the feet of the Alliance walking past the grate. She had heard the ramp lowering and the commands of the troopers. Somehow, she knew that Luke was watching the entire procession from outside the shuttle.

 _Luke_. It was hard to believe that this was the same Luke that had rescued her on the first Death Star. The same Luke that had fought alongside the Alliance for years. The same kind and mellow youth that blew up the Death Star. The same Luke that played on the holo-tables in the _Falcon_ alongside Han.

Leia bit her lip. It would not do well to dwell on the past. The Luke she had known was long gone.

Looking out past the grate, Leia strained her ears for any noise. Hearing nothing, she slowly slid the grate to the side and peeked out. The ramp was still open. Past the ramp, the hangar was emptying quickly, the last of the troopers herding the rebels down to the detention centre making their way through the doors. Luke was nowhere to be found. Perfect.

She made her way down the ramp, crouching low, on high alert. Leia felt exposed, like she was being watched. Shrugging off the feeling, Leia continued to sneak around the shuttle. Glancing around the hangar to take stock of the ships she could escape on, Leia locked eyes on a smaller shuttle. Making up her mind, she quickly looked around and sprinted from ship to ship, slowly coming closer to the small shuttle she had her sights on. She didn't see anyone in the hangar, but you could never be too careful.

Leia paused to take a breath behind a Lambda-class shuttle. Her path across the hangar left two more ships she needed to run to before she would reach her final destination. She was about to sprint across a gap between the Lambda-class shuttle she was hiding behind and an identical one about twenty feet away when she heard the voices.

"Gray Squadron, get your TIEs battle-ready," called out a voice, most probably a pilot commander. "The Admiral said that we're to distract the rebel forces from their ships so that the gunmen up here could fire on the main fleet. We've got three other squadrons joining us."

Leia heard a sharp chorus of _yes, sir_ from the pilots in the squadron. There seemed to be about ten of them. Carefully looking around the corner of the shuttle, Leia spotted the pilots getting into their fighters, merely another fifteen feet away. Leia swore under her breath. There was no way that they wouldn't notice her when they took off. She hid back behind the shuttle. So far she was okay, though. She needed to get into a ship, and fast. Leia looked back out at the squadron getting into their TIEs, then around the hangar, looking for an open ship she could sneak into. The only one she saw was pretty far away. _Well_ , she thought. _It's either run fast or be caught by the Empire_.

Just then, another squadron showed up, this time going to the TIEs on the other side of the hangar. Leia hadn't noticed the new squadron arrive and was about to sprint into a shuttle to hide in but her hands were grabbed roughly from behind.

"Well, well," said a rough voice, belonging to the man at the front of the group. Another man was holding Leia's hands behind her. The one who had spoken had the badge of a commanding aerial officer pinned to his uniform. "Princess Leia Organa. I would have thought that you'd be in the detention centre by now."

Leia knew she was in trouble even before the next words left the commander's mouth, fully acknowledging the fact that she was pretty screwed.

"I suppose we'll just have to report it to the Emperor," stated the commander, with a touch of smugness in his voice at having caught such an high-ranking figure of the Rebel Alliance.

The Blue Squadron led Leia away from the hangar and into an adjoining hallway. The commander had opened up his comm and was waiting to talk to the Admiral up on the bridge. There was a bit of static before the Admiral's voice broke through.

"Received, Blue Commander. What seems to be the trouble?" Leia heard the Admiral ask over the comm. Blue Commander straightened at the sound of Piett's voice.

"Sir, we've caught Princess Leia Organa trying to sneak off the ship in Bay 4," he said proudly. "We wish to report this to the Emperor."

"Very well," Piett answered. "I shall relay this information to Emperor Skywalker immediately. Meanwhile, put the Princess in High Security Cell N7."

"Yes, sir. Blue Commander, out," said Blue Commander to Piett before switching off the comm and turning to his squadron. "You heard the Admiral, boys. Let's get this rebel scum to the detention block."

* * *

Obi-Wan was nervous. That was unusual. For him, anyway. Normally, Obi-Wan was level-headed and confident in his actions.

Of course, when he wasn't with Skywalkers, that is.

Anakin stood on the veranda of his old home. It was long empty, the furniture covered in white sheets, silent. No one dared disturb it, except for the ghost of its former occupant. He glanced down, sensing Obi-Wan. His dark blond hair was ruffled by the wind, even though he wasn't really there.

The Force worked in mysterious ways.

Obi-Wan had taken the look of his younger self, so when Anakin looked at him, it was like no time had passed. With a sudden intake of breath, Anakin met his former master's eyes, but averted them quickly, the flash of his lightsaber taking the old man's life hitting him momentarily.

Obi-Wan, sensing Anakin's pain, came closer. He stood beside the troubled man and placed his hand on his closest friend's shoulder. That did it. He was taken back to the past, their last happy moment, their last—

 _"You are strong and wise, Anakin, and I am very proud of you. I have trained you since you were a small boy. I have taught you everything I know. And you have become a far greater Jedi than I could ever hope to be, and you have saved my life more times than I can remember. But be patient, Anakin. It won't be long before the Council makes you a Jedi Master."_

Anakin's shields were down. He gulped, trying to force his tears back, prevent his throat from closing up. He raised a hand to his face but changed his mind, letting it drop to his side. He breathed heavily, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he choked. "I'm so sorry."

Anakin then fell apart completely. His shoulders shook under Obi-Wan's hand, his tears falling freely. Obi-Wan looked at the broken man in front of him, embracing him. Anakin sunk to his knees. Obi-Wan went with him, cradling the man's head against his chest. He held Anakin as he cried into Obi-Wan's robes.

"I'm sorry," choked out the younger man again. "I'm sorry…"

Obi-Wan was still as Anakin clung to him and shook. He felt himself tearing up. He didn't hold the tears back as the fell from his eyes, leaving a burning path on his younger face. He held onto Anakin with power than before, wrapping his arms tighter around him. Anakin continued to cry, burying his face in Obi-Wan's chest. Their long cloaks swirled on the ground, wrapping around the two ghosts like a warm cocoon of safety and love. Gripping the younger man ever tighter, Obi-Wan watched as his former apprentice fell apart before his eyes. The fragments of Anakin's shattered soul shone out to Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan felt his love for the man in his arms erupt.

Anakin was his brother, his best friend, his family. He was everything to Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan loved him. He loved him through it all. He raised the boy, he trained him. He couldn't just forget that, could he? He loved Anakin more than any other being in the universe.

That's why he couldn't kill him on that dark day on Mustafar, why he just _could not_.

For how could he? How could he kill Anakin when what he saw in front of him was the young boy he'd raised, the same young boy whom he and Qui-Gon had freed on Tatooine? The boy who loved him, the boy who had seen Obi-Wan as a brother, the boy who— This could go on forever.

 _"We were brothers Anakin, I loved you!"_

Obi-Wan knew that the use of the past tense in his last three words was a lie, for there was no power in the universe that could rid Obi-Wan of his love for Anakin.

"I forgive you," whispered Obi-Wan, which only made Anakin shake harder.

On Mustafar, when they had faced each other on that sith-forsaken planet, Obi-Wan couldn't do it. He couldn't kill Vader, because he only saw Anakin. He had thrown away years of his Jedi calm that day and screamed at his former apprentice. He couldn't even hate him for what he had done. _He could not_. And now, as he looked at Anakin, as he looked at the broken man, the used-to-be troubled youth, he saw his mistakes.

Anakin, the troubled boy. Anakin, the former slave. Anakin, the boy whom the council was always fearful of, untrusting. Anakin, the one who could never control his feelings. Anakin, the man who had sacrificed everything he had believed in, for _love_. Anakin, whom he had mutilated beyond reason and then left to burn on the bank of a lava river. Anakin, who could not stoop down to the level of a true Sith and kill his own son. Anakin, who had been murdered by his own child only because Obi-Wan had told the boy a lie. Anakin, who now apologized to Obi-Wan for his wrongs.

"I'm sorry too, Anakin," he whispered. "I'm sorry too."

Anakin continued to shake in the arms of his friend, his brother. He knew he had hurt Obi-Wan deeply that day on Mustafar, and he had hurt himself too. Years of Jedi training, and _for what?_ He had so many regrets, _so many_. He had done so much bad, so much evil. How could he ever be forgiven? Why should he? He had killed so many, torn apart families, and destroyed worlds. And for what? He had murdered the younglings at the Jedi Temple, _children!_ It all led up to Mustafar, where, he realized, Obi-Wan couldn't kill him.

On Mustafar, where he had almost choked his wife to death.

On Mustafar, where his soul shattered, the pieces scattered by the wind.

He was a broken man.

But he was forgiven.

Obi-Wan didn't hate him. _Obi-Wan didn't hate him._

The realization only made him cry harder. He was _loved_. And while he could never forgive himself, he appreciated Obi-Wan for forgiving him. For loving him. Anakin cried harder, his arms around Obi-Wan not loosening. He was loved.

And he loved Obi-Wan in return. Yes, that would be forever true. Obi-Wan was a brother to Anakin, a mentor, his best friend. And Anakin would always love him, no matter what he tried to tell himself.

For how could he let the memories go? Years, _years_ of being together, protecting the galaxy, serving in the Clone Wars, side by side. How could he forget? There was no forgetting.

"Thank you," Anakin told Obi-Wan quietly.

And so the two figures sat on the veranda of a long-empty home, wrapped in their cloaks. Holding onto each other for dear life.

Two men, long dead.

Forgiven.

* * *

Luke Skywalker stood tall on the bridge of the Super Star Destroyer _Executor_. He had stood there for a while, unmoving, lost in thought. When the Admiral tapped his shoulder, Luke almost killed the man for disturbing him. He turned to face Piett, slowly, fixing the Admiral in his hard gaze. Piett remained unfazed.

"Milord," he said respectfully, bowing his head slightly. "We have captured Her Highness Princess Leia Organa trying to escape the ship. She was found in the same hangar the shuttles had arrived in by the Blue Squadron Commander. She is currently being held in High Security Cell N7, sir."

"Very well," Luke nodded, dismissing the Admiral. With a look back at the viewport and a swish of his cape, Luke exited the bridge, making his way to the lift that would take him down to the detention block.

He needed to speak with a certain Rebel.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **The Anakin and Obi-Wan scene took a while to write and I really like it, so… yeah (trying to not admit the fact that I shed real tears while writing I am so sorry for your heartbreak). Please leave a review if you enjoyed :)**


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter V_

Leia had no idea how long she'd been in the cell. Time was hard to tell aboard the vessel. She reckoned that it had only been a few minutes, but it could have been longer, of course. The sheer vastness of the Super Star Destroyer was hard to picture. Yes, she'd seen the ship, but still. That didn't compare to being inside the actual thing.

The cell itself was small and bare, but it wasn't the worst that Leia had been in. She was just getting comfortable on the hard, cold metal bench when she heard the door begin to open. Getting up quickly, Leia glared at the figure who entered.

It was Luke.

They stood in silence, facing each other. Leia spoke first.

"How could you?"

"What else was there to do?" He whispered, suddenly quiet. That was not what Leia had expected. She looked into his eyes and saw sincerity. Her expression remained stoic.

"What happened?"

"Why would you care?" Luke snapped, his anger returning. Anger at himself, anger at the Emperor, at Obi-Wan, at Yoda, but mostly at himself for being so ignorant and naive. Blindly, he stuck his arm out and the Force slammed Leia against the hard cell wall. At her sudden cry of pain, Luke let go. He wouldn't hurt Leia too. Yes, she was a rebel, but she wasn't just a face in the crowd. She was his friend, and even though Luke knew she probably hated him, he didn't want to hurt her. _Like Vader hadn't wanted to hurt him_.

Leia looked up at Luke from the floor. Slowly raising herself up, using the wall as support, Leia spoke again.

"Why did you do it?" She rasped.

Luke knew she wasn't talking about how he had flung her at the wall like a rag doll. She was talking about his turn. But how could he explain it? That he'd saved his father and then killed him? That would make him sound even worse. How about adding 'oh, well I didn't know he was my father until after he died, so it makes it okay'. Plus, Leia wouldn't understand why he regretted killing Vader, even though she knew he was Luke's father. She didn't understand the Dark and Light aspects of the Force. She only understood that Vader was a bad man, a monster. She would support him if she knew he killed Vader, but he could not appreciate it for himself. Yes, Vader had been a heartless monster, but he didn't want to kill Luke. If he was a Sith, a truly ruthless darksider, then he would have killed his son.

"You wouldn't understand," he finally said, looking away from her piercing gaze and closing his eyes softly. Behind his closed eyelids, Luke's anger at himself and Obi-Wan smashed into his head like a tidal wave, a tidal wave of pain and loss and hate— hate so powerful it could tear through the very fibre of the universe, and it was aimed at himself.

Luke had given up. The last spark of hope he had held so dearly during the war was finally snuffed out for good. He opened his eyes.

They were no longer blue. They were a sickly yellow gold.

Leia gasped, but her breath was then cut off suddenly as a tsunami of _something_ washed over her, and then through the ship, and then through the entire galaxy.

A feeling of fear, of guilt, and of hate.

The wave brought her to her knees and her hands to her head, a dizzying pain filling her mind, a darkness so dense it was clouding her vision, and suddenly, suddenly— the pain had vanished. Leia looked up just in time to see Luke turn around and stalk out of the cell. She could feel the buzzing of the Dark Side around his entire form. Leia collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. The metal door of her cell slammed shut and she was left alone again.

Meanwhile, Luke was turning a corner in the hallway, running, running through the ship, pushing everyone he met out of the way with the Force, _sprinting, running, get away, GET AWAY, sprinting, no time for breath, get away, stars, ships, dreams, hopes, all gone, DEAD, leave me alone, leavemeleavemeleaveme, STOP!_

Through the doors, to the viewport, _I can see, the stars the stars the stars, I can see, spacespacespace, ships, dreams, GONE!_

With a yell of anguish, Luke fell to the ground in his quarters, _his father's quarters (Vader Anakin Vader ANAKIN)_ , and his scream tore from his throat, shaking _furniture, walls, the ship_ —

Luke Skywalker was in the Dark, and there was only one person left in the entire universe that could save him from himself.

Unfortunately, that person was already dead.

* * *

Anakin Skywalker keeled over as all of a sudden a wave of power struck his mind.

 _Fear, anger, hate, dark, fear, anger—_

Anakin had suddenly fallen limp in his former master's arms. Obi-Wan looked at his brother in horror and called out his name in alarm.

"Anakin!"

Looking over Anakin to try and figure out what was wrong, he felt it. The Dark Side. _Luke_. Glancing back at his padawan, Obi-Wan noticed that Anakin's eyes were glassy and unfocused, staring at the sky.

Then, suddenly, as if someone had shocked him, Anakin gasped for air, grabbing Obi-Wan's robes, tears gathering in his eyes.

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked worriedly. "Anakin? Are you alright?"

"I.." Anakin seemed at a loss for words, trying to form a sentence and get his scattered pieces of a mind together. "I… I don't know…"

Helping Anakin sit up, Obi-Wan looked at him more carefully. Anakin's eyes were glancing around wildly, as if looking at something that Obi-Wan couldn't see. The younger man's hands were grasping Obi-Wan's robes more tightly as he let out a cry of… something. Maybe fear, maybe pain, Obi-Wan wasn't sure, but he did know that it wasn't anything good.

He wrapped his arms around Anakin as he started to shake, his eyes darting more wildly now.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no…" Anakin whispered quietly. Obi-Wan heard his mantra and held Anakin more tightly.

"No, no, no!"

On his last outburst, Anakin yelled in anguish and pain, his eyes darting, his body shaking even harder, and then he quieted.

"Master, I…" He looked at Obi-Wan, glancing down in confusion. "I… I…"

Obi-Wan was also at a loss. Not knowing what to do, or what was wrong, Obi-Wan did the only thing that came to mind.

"It will be okay," he said gently to the still-shaking Anakin, embracing him even tighter. In Obi-Wan's arms, he looked like a child, like the nine-year-old that Qui-Gon had first introduced him as. So Obi-Wan held him and told him it would be alright, sending warmth and comfort through their Force-bond. Anakin seemed to calm down and Obi-Wan felt his padawan sigh softly as he connected with the Light.

"Thank you, Obi-Wan," Anakin said quietly, his voice soft and fragile. Obi-Wan felt a smile forming.

"We'll be fine, Anakin," he reassured his friend, standing up. Reaching out a hand, Obi-Wan smiled down at Anakin. "A hand?"

"Thanks," said Anakin, grabbing Obi-Wan's outstretched hand and letting his master pull him up from the ground. When the were both standing, Anakin smiled too at Obi-Wan.

"I didn't know if I'd ever see you smile again, Anakin," Obi-Wan mentioned. "It's good to have you back."

"Yes, Master," replied Anakin. "It's good to _be_ back."

"Now," Obi-Wan said before asking the question he already knew the answer to. "What do you think that was?"

Anakin's face darkened.

"Luke," he replied solemnly, looking past Obi-Wan at the Coruscant sunset. Obi-Wan sensed Anakin's deep pain and placed a light hand on Anakin's shoulder. At this gesture, Anakin turned back to Obi-Wan.

"I must save him, Master," he said with certainty and determination. "I must."

"Yes," agreed Obi-Wan, glancing at the ground before continuing quietly. "I'm afraid that Luke's fall was also my fault. I didn't tell him the truth when I should have, and I'm sorry for that, Anakin."

"The past is in the past, Obi-Wan," Anakin replied. "And while I may be a bit mad that you didn't tell him, I know that anger will only lead to worse. I can't afford to lose Luke like I lost myself. I need to help him, to save him, but I don't think I can reach him in death."

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin's solemn expression.

"What if I told you that the Force believes in second chances?"

Anakin frowned.

"What do you mean, Obi-Wan?"

"I mean," said Obi-Wan. "That the Force can bring you back to your son. Yoda and Qui-Gon figured that you can't join the Light fully until your guilt doesn't dominate your mind."

"Wait," stuttered Anakin. "You mean, the Force can bring me back to life?"

"Yes, Anakin," said Obi-Wan gently. "That is exactly what I am implying. The other Jedi Masters said that as long you make a conscious choice when the Force calls out to you, you can be returned to the land of the living and live out the rest of your life, had you not died. It can help you do good things and lessen your guilt so that you can truly become one with the Force when your time comes."

"Obi-Wan, I…" Anakin shook his head. "I don't know what to say. This… This is wonderful!"

The corners of Obi-Wan's mouth lifted as he looked at Anakin smiling brightly. But then the happiness in his eyes dimmed a bit as a thought occurred.

"But, you won't be there, will you?" He asked sadly, looking down at Obi-Wan.

"Some sacrifices must be made, Anakin," Obi-Wan began with a tone of apology. "No, I cannot be there. My time has passed already."

Anakin sighed, looking past Obi-Wan and to the busy skies.

"Alas, while I can't be there in body, I will be there in spirit," continued Obi-Wan. Anakin frowned again.

"I don't understand," he said. Obi-Wan smiled knowingly.

"I can appear to you as a ghost," he explained. "I have appeared like this to Luke after my… joining with the Force."

Anakin winced, sending a mental apology to Obi-Wan.

"So while I may not physically be there, you will still be able to see me and talk to me," Obi-Wan concluded.

A small smile ghosted over Anakin's features.

"So, you'll be there with me, in a way?"

"Yes, Anakin. You won't be alone."

"Thank you, Obi-Wan. For everything."

"Of course."

The two men looked at each other, both smiling softly. Anakin breathed deeply, blinking back unshed tears.

"I'm sorry again, Obi-Wan," he said, his eyes filled with regret.

"I know," Obi-Wan replied gently.

"You know what I have to do."

"Yes."

They stepped towards each other and embraced tightly. _One last time_. Anakin and Obi-Wan stood on the veranda and held each other, not wanting to let go, for they knew that they would be separated again soon. _Too soon_. The sun was red on the horizon, the sky soaked in pinks and purples. And yet the two men paid none of it any attention.

For the second time that night, Anakin fell limp in Obi-Wan's arms. Obi-Wan gently sat on the ground, keeping his padawan's head in his lap.

"It's time," Anakin whispered. "I… I love you, Obi-Wan. I just, I'm sorry for… for everything. I…"

He trailed off, his eyes locked with Obi-Wan's.

"I love you too, Anakin," Obi-Wan said softly in return. He watched as Anakin's real hand attempted to hold on to Obi-Wan's robe, his eyes never leaving Obi-Wan's own.

Obi-Wan felt Anakin's hand go limp and fall to the surface of the veranda. He watched as his best friend's eyes became unfocused and glassy.

"Goodbye, old friend."

And so, as his brother's ghostly form faded from his arms, Obi-Wan sat on the veranda of a long-forgotten home. Alone.

Anakin Skywalker was somewhere in the galaxy, alive again. The Chosen One, indeed. Obi-Wan felt a tear leave his eye, and he smiled. It was bittersweet, but he knew.

He knew that it was all going to be okay.

The wind blew, and the traffic wailed, and above it all the Coruscant sun slowly dipped beneath the horizon, bathing the city in a myriad of colours, and Obi-Wan knew.

It was going to be okay.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I've been busy. Also, I am in dire need of a beta reader, so if you would like to beta for this story _please_ pm me. Anyways, here is the chapter :)**

* * *

 _Chapter VI_

Anakin Skywalker was lying on something hard, that much he knew. There was something that felt awfully like metal pressing into his arm. _No, not just his arm_.

His eyes blinking open, unused to the bright light shining through his lashes, Anakin breathed. Really breathed, for the first time in two decades.

No rasp of the dreaded respirator, not like the breathing he had done while he was a Force ghost, as the dead didn't need to breathe.

No, Anakin realized. He was breathing fresh air, on his own, with a set of perfectly healthy lungs. Closing his eyes to hold back the tears of joy, Anakin simply listened.

 _Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale._

To him, the sound was beautiful.

Opening his eyes once more, Anakin took in his surroundings. He was lying in the centre of what looked to be a clearing, well, from what he could see lying down. He sat up slowly, bringing a hand to his face, shaking his head to clear his eyes. His hand. A black glove, probably covering a golden prosthetic, like the one he had before… And legs! Real legs! Anakin almost jumped for joy. He was whole again.

Suddenly, he started.

He was sitting in ashes. _His ashes_. Well, the ashes of his suit, at least.

He glanced behind him, scrambling back as Darth Vader's helmet stared back at him, the lenses glinting darkly. Prosthetics lay beside him, and as Anakin glanced around, his suspicions were confirmed. The black armour lay scattered around his body, the various robotic limbs laid out where they should be.

 _He was lying in his own grave_.

The grave that Luke had no doubt created for him, burning his suit. His body.

Head spinning, Anakin dizzily stood up, brushing the ashes— _the suit's ashes—_ off his dark robes.

Reaching for his lightsaber at his side, he felt a moment of panic to find it wasn't there, Obi-Wan's words ringing in his ears for a moment _("This weapon is your life.")_. Regaining his control, Anakin saw a glint of silver metal, half-buried in the ashes of his former prison and the wood it was burned on. Using the Force to lift the object to his hand, Anakin grinned.

His lightsaber.

Luke had apparently burnt his body with it. Obviously, the flames had not marred the ancient weapon. Anakin let his fingers run over the smooth metal, letting them remember how the blade fit in his hand, how the blue shone majestically when it was lit.

Eyes sweeping the clearing one last time, Anakin clipped the lightsaber to his belt and started to make his way out of the clearing, leaving his grave and Darth Vader behind him.

He was Anakin Skywalker, and while his memories would continue to haunt him until his second grave, he would leave the name behind, and perhaps right some of the wrongs he'd committed.

* * *

Luke Skywalker stared out the viewport in his private quarters. His anger was bubbling beneath his calm demeanour. The Admiral had contacted him a while ago and said that they still had a few days until they reached Coruscant, and Luke hadn't a clue to what to do with the time. So, he stared out the viewport, watching the stars streak by as the ship sped through hyperspace.

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that he would go down this path. That he'd kill… no. He was not going to dwell in this particular memory, for it had cut his heart and soul too deeply.

But Luke couldn't help it. He had always wanted a father. When he was but a young boy on Tatooine, the nephew of a moisture farmer, a little boy with a talent at flying, he watched his friends with their parents and couldn't help wishing he had parents of his own. Of course he was grateful for his Aunt and Uncle, but what the younger Luke wouldn't give to have had a father. A man who cared for him and held his hand, who would help him build things and fly Beggars' Canyon with him. Younger Luke, naive Luke, would have given absolutely anything to know at least _something_ about his father. Maybe that's why Ben had lied. He had probably thought that Luke wasn't ready for the truth, wouldn't want to accept the truth. And the Luke of the present knew that that was probably true. But the lie could have been told differently. Ben could have said that his father had just died in the Jedi Purges and not mentioned Vader. That would have led Luke down a different path, and maybe it would have led to a better future.

And so, the possible scenarios rushed Luke's mind, dreams and hopes and what ifs all rolled into one and then he saw it. The one possibility that he could have had, the one possibility out of thousands upon millions of possibilities, had Luke chosen differently.

 _Luke walked side by side with an older man with blue eyes and dark blonde hair, no doubt Anakin. They were walking in a meadow on a beautiful planet filled with plants and colours. A lake shone in the distance, the sun glittering on the surface. Anakin seemed to be telling Luke something, pointing to the lake and smiling softly. Luke put an arm around Anakin and they embraced. The sun shone upon their backs, and the laughter of father and son rang throughout the meadow._

Suddenly torn back to the present, Luke stiffened as he felt a wetness on his cheek. Bringing a hand up to his face, Luke wiped the tears away swiftly. That vision, that 'what if', had felt so real and pure, it was hard to believe it was all just Luke's own wishful thinking.

 _Wishful thinking_ , Luke inwardly scoffed. It would get him nowhere.

Turning his back on the viewport, he made his way across the room.

 _Son_.

Luke froze when he heard the voice. He felt word resonate in his mind, taunting him.

His father was dead. There was no one left to call him 'son'. Luke grit his teeth.

 _Wishful thinking._

* * *

Reaching out to Luke was proving harder to Anakin than he had thought. The Dark Side shrouded his mind in an impenetrable veil. Anakin sighed. He'd just been able to say one word before the connection was broken.

He'd been forced to take shelter in the tall tree when night had fallen on the moon of Endor. Leaning back against the rough tree bark, Anakin looked to the stars. He had always found comfort in the stars, whether it be as Anakin or as… Well.

They shone brightly in the cloudless sky, and as he watched them twinkle, Anakin found a sort of peace. He was alive, and he was looking at the stars. _Oh, and how they sparkled_.

He sighed again. Taking out his lightsaber, he examined it. It looked practically brand-new. Someone must have cared for it for the twenty years that he'd been Vader. The realization struck him like a shock.

 _Obi-Wan._

Anakin felt the onslaught of emotions milliseconds before they came. Trying to keep back the already-forming tears, Anakin breathed heavily.

Obi-Wan had taken care of his lightsaber for twenty years. There was no other way that it would still be in such spotless condition.

Anakin closed his eyes, holding the weapon close. Obi-Wan did love him. If anything was proof of that, it was his lightsaber. And then came the guilt. Obi-Wan had spent twenty years in exile, knowing that he, Anakin, Obi-Wan's brother and closest friend was out there murdering millions for the Empire. And even then, though Obi-Wan hadn't believed that Anakin could come back, he had taken care of the lightsaber. Anakin stayed like that for quite some time, not knowing the exact amount, as currently, he was lost in the past.

Opening his eyes some time later, Anakin nearly fell out of the tree. For in front of him sat Obi-Wan, ghostly form and all, studying him.

"How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," replied the ghost.

"Look, Obi-Wan," he began. "I'm sorry. I know… I was a colossal wreck, I… I made terrible, _terrible_ decisions, and… and—"

"Anakin," Obi-Wan interrupted. "It's in the past, and the past is not something we can change. I will not hold you to your mistakes. The only thing left is the future."

Anakin closed his eyes again.

"Yes, Master," he said. Obi-Wan nodded solemnly.

"But how can I not hold myself to those mistakes?" Anakin added softly, under the impression that Obi-Wan wouldn't hear, but he did.

"Goodnight, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, making no move to acknowledge Anakin's words. "And sleep. You must have enough energy for your journey. I will awaken you if anything is amiss."

"Goodnight, Obi-Wan," replied Anakin. "Thank you."

"Now sleep," Obi-Wan stated sternly. Anakin rolled his eyes slightly, but closed them under Obi-Wan's condescending glare, slowly drifting off into a thankfully dreamless sleep.

* * *

Leia was still awake when she heard the troopers at the door switch. Wincing slightly, she stood up and made her way to the door, trying to hear something, anything.

Mainly because she was bored. Leia had been in enough Imperial prison cells to know that the Stormtroopers didn't speak any useful information while on guard duty. But still, she listened.

"You know, Darl, I still don't get why we're always assigned to guard duty," said a voice. Trooper newbies, Leia assumed. Or just idiots, considering troopers. Excited despite her tired state, Leia listened intently.

"Oh, come on," replied another voice, seemingly annoyed. "This is a high-security prisoner. We should be honoured."

"I've heard rumours that it's Organa herself in there," said the first voice.

"And? Look, trooper, I'm here to do my job. You can do whatever you please. The troopers on last rotation said that Emperor Skywalker himself had come down here. I wouldn't be surprised if that was Organa."

"Maybe we can look," suggested the first voice.

"Are you crazy?" The second voice exclaimed.

"No one will ever know," amended the first, quickly. "Besides, she's probably sleeping, a peek wouldn't hurt. Plus, it's so boring here."

"You are such an idiot."

"Fine. I'll just stand here."

"Good."

Leia concentrated. She could feel the Force, thrumming underneath her fingers, there. Always there. Perhaps, perhaps she could move the door. It wasn't like she had anything better to do. Yes, she disliked the Force, and _gods_ , she didn't want to become like Luke, but it was _there_ , calling to her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't block it out.

So, she concentrated. Hard. Closing her eyes, Leia pictured the cell in her head, the door, opening—

"What?" Exclaimed the voice of a Stormtrooper.

Leia sprung to life. She caught the trooper by surprise and grabbed his blaster, knocking him out cold with the gun set to stun. By this time, the other trooper was alert. Leia saw him reaching for his comm, but she was quicker. A blaster bolt hit the trooper and he was down.

No doubt others would soon be alerted. Luke would know by now. Leia dragged the two troopers into the cell and shut the door as she left the room. Looking down the hallway, she found it eerily empty. It was most likely the others were in different cells.

She made her way down the hall towards where she knew the hangar bay to be. Well, she didn't know, but she _felt_. The Force was guiding her.

And for the very first time, she didn't try to stop it.

Sneaking through the ship, Leia found, was surprisingly easy. She only had two close calls with a few officers, but otherwise, she ran through the halls unnoticed. Finally, she reached the hangar bay. No troopers guarded the doors, for why should they? Leia pressed the button on the side and the doors slid open.

Sighing in relief, she made her way over to the nearest shuttle. Of course, she wasn't Luke, but being in the Alliance had taught her a few things. Namely, how to hijack an Imperial vessel.

The ramp lowered.

Leia climbed on quickly, closing the ramp behind her. Then, she made her way over to the pilot's seat and strapped herself in.

"C'mon, Leia," she muttered to herself as she looked over the controls. "C'mon, c'mon, you can do this… Aha!"

She smiled when she hit the right switch and the console came to life. Clinging tightly to the main controller, Leia got the shuttle off the ground. The comm beeped, but she ignored it. The shuttle flew through the bay doors and away from the _Executor_. She knew she didn't have much time before they started firing on her, so Leia quickly input coordinates. She would head to Endor. Perhaps there was something there that was still useful.

The ship disappeared from the stars, flying through hyperspace.

* * *

Anakin had woken up the next morning with Obi-Wan still perched on his spot from the night before. Anakin rolled his eyes.

"Do you ghosts even sleep?"

Obi-Wan chuckled.

"You find you don't need sleep when you're dead," he said lightly.

Anakin sighed dramatically and jumped from the tree.

"Whatever you say, Obi-Wan."

The other man just chuckled before falling in step beside his former padawan.

"So, where to, my young padawan?"

Anakin snorted.

"Don't ' _young padawan_ ' me, old man," he replied, not able to stop the smile that graced his features.

They walked in silence the rest of the way to the Ewok village where the rebels had set up base, simply enjoying the other's presence. Anakin dug around some of the scattered machinery and looked back up at Obi-Wan, shrugging. That's when the Ewoks themselves decided to make an appearance.

They piled out of their little huts, surrounding Anakin and (unseen to them) Obi-Wan as well.

"Well then," Anakin muttered, looking around.

A voice suddenly broke the silence.

"Oh hello there! I'm afraid we're terribly in need of help, for— What _is_ it, Artoo?"

Anakin swivelled around to face the voice, finding Threepio and Artoo at the entrance to one of the huts. Threepio looked the same as ever with his golden plating, and Artoo, of course, looked equally like a relic from the past. The former was currently chastising the astromech, while said astromech beeped and chittered frantically, pushing his way past the Ewoks. Anakin figured that they must have been left behind when the Imps captured the Alliance.

"Artoo," he greeted as the droid finally made his way through the Ewoks and bumped against his leg. "Yes, it really is me, I swear."

Artoo let out another round of chirps and beeps.

"Well, you certainly haven't lost your touch," Anakin laughed. The droid just chittered more in response.

"Excuse me? Is there something I'm missing?" Asked Threepio.

"Do you remember me, Threepio?" Asked Anakin in return. Threepio tilted his head, as if confused.

"Should I? I'm very sorry, but I have no recollection of you in my memory drive," said the droid sincerely. Artoo beeped again. Threepio raised a hand in surprise.

"The Maker!" He exclaimed. "Artoo Deetoo, this is not Master Ani. You really need to get it together— What do mean, my memory has been wiped? I have no recollection of—"

Anakin sighed and removed the plating from the back of Threepio's head, who in defence began to protest.

"Are you sure you are supposed to do—"

"Artoo, you said it was a wipe right? Not a drive replacement?" Anakin interrupted, looking to the astromech. Artoo let out another set of beeps, to which Anakin nodded, turning back to his work.

"Threepio, could you possibly just shut down for a few minutes while I get this sorted?" Anakin asked.

"Why, of course, but I really don't think—"

"Thanks," cut in Anakin. Threepio powered down. Anakin fiddled a bit with the wires, working quickly but efficiently. After about fifteen minutes he replaced the plating and stood up with an air of triumph.

"Got it!" He confirmed, turning the droid back on. Threepio gave him one look and started talking.

"Oh! Master Ani! It has been ages since I last saw you, thank the Maker you're alright! You have no idea how many skirmishes this little grease pot has gotten us into!" he blabbered. "I swear, he only ever listens to you!"

Anakin laughed and patted the droid on the shoulder.

"It's good to see you too, Threepio," he finally said.

All of a sudden, Artoo gave a startled whistle, followed by yet another few beeps of binary (which of course, Anakin understood perfectly.)

"Wait, Artoo," Anakin said, shaking his head slightly. "A shuttle? I'm pretty sure that _Executor_ has already left the system."

After another series of bloops and beeps from Artoo, Anakin brought a hand to his chin.

"One passenger, huh?" He muttered. Looking up at the droid, he smiled slightly. "Well, at least we know your long-range scanners are in perfect working condition."

Anakin stretched out his mind with the Force, reaching the shuttle, trying to figure out who was on it. The bright Force signature was somewhat familiar, but Anakin couldn't place it. All he knew was that it wasn't Luke. He let it go and tore himself back to the situation at hand.

Alas, he knew. The only thing to do now was wait for the ship to land.

 _Let's just hope whoever doesn't want to kill me_ , Anakin thought to himself. _For the second time._

When the shuttle touched down, Anakin waited rather impatiently for the ramp to lower. Obi-Wan stood beside him, his ghostly form shimmering. Then the occupant of the shuttle stepped down, and Anakin tensed.

 _What was Padmé doing here?_

Wait, no. It wasn't Padmé. He noticed. The woman's hair was done up a bit differently, she was shorter, different—

Oh, kriff.

It was _Leia Organa._

"Bantha fodder!" He shouted at the sky.

 _How did he mix her up with Padmé again?_

But then, he noticed her Force signature. It was warm, and bright, but with an edge— it was a bit like his, and Luke's.

"Maybe you mixed them up because they're related," quipped Obi-Wan from beside him. Anakin shot him a look that said; _don't even go there_ , but Obi-Wan continued. "Have you ever heard of twins?"

The way he said it so nonchalantly threw Anakin off the meaning, until it sunk in a few moments later. _Did he mean that_ Leia Organa _was his daughter?!_

 _Obi-Wan, you're going senile_ , Anakin thought to himself before consulting the Force, but everything rung true.

 _Kriff._

Naturally, the first thing Anakin did was let out a string of Huttese curses.


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter VII_

Leia Organa was a woman who was sure of herself. She also wasn't a terrible pilot, so that helped in landing the shuttle on the Endor moon.

But Leia Organa also wasn't the fondest of surprises. And the man standing with Artoo and Threepio was definitely a surprise.

When she exited the shuttle, Leia saw him visibly stiffen. She was just going to say something—

"Bantha fodder!" Shouted the man, throwing his hands around and looking to the sky. Then he seemed to be listening to something, as he looked over beside him (there was nothing there), and then, after a moment, the man let out a string of curse words (was that Huttese Leia heard?)

"Who are you?" She said.

The man turned to look at her, fixing her with his blue-eyed gaze. He looked nice enough, but the sudden pain and longing and sorrow and _guilt_ in his eyes left Leia with no doubt that his next words were true.

"You don't want to know."

"Well, I need to call you something," she said. "Considering that you haven't tried to kill me, I assume you aren't here to do so."

"True enough," he replied, a small smile turning up the corners of his mouth. It didn't reach his eyes. "Call me Anakin."

That name, to Leia at least, was awfully familiar. Where from, she didn't know.

Anakin had already turned away, facing the droids. Well, mainly Artoo, as Threepio had finally realized who it was that walked down the ramp.

"Oh! Mistress Leia! How wonderful it is to see you," he babbled. "It seems like Artoo and I had been completely forgotten! Can you imagine?—"

"Yes, Threepio," Leia cut off. "Could you wait a minute? I promise I will listen to your story in a little while, as I am certain it is very interesting. Just, wait a minute."

"Why certainly, Princess."

Leia looked over at Anakin.

"Alright Artoo, where did you say the other ship was?"

She watched in wonder as the man attentively listened to the droid, seemingly understanding every beep.

"Yep, got it. Lead the way, Artoo."

"So, where are we going?" She asked. He turned to face her, his eyes wavering from hers, as if he was scared to meet them.

"Artoo," he cleared his throat, "has said that the Imps had neglected to notice one of the Rebel ships parked just a bit further than the others. That's where we're going."

He pursed his lips, as if wanting to say something more, but something in his expression suddenly changed, and Anakin turned away.

"Come on, Princess. The ship's that way."

Anakin didn't bother to give her a second glance as he began to walk behind Artoo. Leia followed, Threepio at her side.

The angle at which he walked at now was just enough to let Leia catch the unmistakable shape of a lightsaber hidden underneath the man's cloak. If she shifted just a tad to the left, Leia could see… _No_.

Luke's lightsaber was hanging from the man's belt.

She suddenly stopped walking, and sensing the change, Anakin turned around.

Threepio looked between the two, seemingly confused. "What is it, Master Skywalker?"

Leia could almost swear her heart stopped.

 _Anakin Skywalker_. Luke's father.

She could see that he saw the gears turning, her mind coming to a conclusion.

 _"I am the son of Darth Vader. I saved him from himself and he returned to being the Jedi Anakin Skywalker. And then I killed him. I killed my own father. He didn't want to kill me, he didn't want to fight. I'm a worse monster than Vader ever was. And now, the Empire is mine."_

"No…" She whispered. "No, no…"

"Leia, let me explain," he pleaded, his face defeated. "Please."

Leia ignored him. Her heart was racing, pounding in her ears.

Darth Vader stood in front of her.

"I should kill you," she stated.

"Yes, yes, you should," he nodded, and Leia was positive that it was only her imagination that saw the tears in his eyes. "But would that be the right thing to do? Would you deny this to Luke?"

That had struck a chord, and he knew it.

"You have no right to talk about Luke!" She said, her voice sharp. "You have no right! You are a murderer of millions, you stood by while my entire planet was wiped from existence! You tortured me, and not to mention, look what you've done to Luke! This is all your fault, all of it."

Anakin simply looked defeated, the light gone from his already tired eyes.

"I know."

He turned away, instead looking in front of him, shaking his head, as if looking at someone.

Leia took a step back…

"I can't do it, Obi-Wan," he whispered. "I can't."

Anakin met Obi-Wan's eyes. "I'm sorry."

Obi-Wan just shook his head.

"You can do it, Anakin. Now I say this not as the Jedi Council, but as your friend. You are strong, and you are wise, and I know that you can do this," he said, placing a ghostly hand on Anakin's shoulder. Of course Anakin didn't feel it, but he felt touched nonetheless.

"Go back to your daughter, Anakin," Obi-Wan continued gently. "She needs you, even though she doesn't know it yet. The ship that Artoo has sensed is a shuttle from the medical frigate. Do a DNA test. Leia, she's a lot like you. Difficult, stubborn. But she will come through."

Anakin ran a hand through his hair tiredly.

"Alright, old man," he said. "I'll try."

Obi-Wan smiled.

"That's the spirit."

Anakin shot his former master a wry grin and turned back to face Leia.

"Come along, Princess. You may not like it, but I'm the only one here."

Leia frowned.

"Fine," she relented.

Anakin sighed and looked down at Artoo.

"Lead the way, Artoo."

* * *

Luke was mad. No, he was furious.

How had they managed to let the Princess escape? Were they all such fools?

Leia Organa had escaped, and Luke was not pleased.

"Get me those security cam holos," he commanded into his comm.

"Yes, sir," was the brisk reply.

Luke ran a hand through his hair and paced his quarters. How did she get away? There were two Stormtroopers positioned at the doors. The cell was monitored round the clock. How did she escape?

Soon Luke sensed an officer standing behind his door. Luke waved a hand and the door opened, leaving the nervous officer with a hand raised as if to ring the room.

"What do you have for me, Officer?" Luke stated, fixing the officer with his gaze. The man shuffled nervously and cleared his throat.

"Sir, we have the security holos you requested, sir," said the officer, holding out a datapad. "They are on this datapad, milord."

Luke eyed the datapad and approached to take it. Once it was safely within his hands, Luke met the officer's eyes.

"You are dismissed."

The officer nodded and turned to leave the room, the door sliding shut soundlessly behind his retreating form.

Luke turned on the datapad and tapped to watch the recording. The blue holo popped up from the device's screen and began to play. It showed Leia getting up and walking to the door. Her face scrunched up in concentration, her hand held out in front of her.

Suddenly, the door of the cell opened, and recording Leia sprung to life. She grabbed one of the troopers' blasters, taking him down with a shot to the shoulder. Then, she twisted and shot down the other trooper just as he was reaching for his comm unit.

The recording ended there just as Leia dragged the troopers into the cell and shot out the cameras.

Luke put down the datapad. The tables had turned.

Leia Organa was Force-sensitive.

* * *

Anakin followed the droid quietly. He felt Leia behind him, and heard Threepio's unnecessary chatter. Artoo was silent as he lead the way, as if he sensed Anakin's feelings. Of course he didn't, but he might as well have, considering how long the little droid had known him.

"How much further, Artoo?" Anakin asked the small astromech. Artoo let out a short series of beeps and Anakin nodded. The shuttle from the frigate was coming up ahead.

"What do you know of your birth parents, Princess?" He asked nonchalantly.

The question caught her off guard. Her resolve hardened.

"Why do you care?"

"Just asking, Princess."

She stared after his back as he moved down the path behind Artoo. Concluding that he was just simply asking a question and not planning on exploiting the knowledge, Leia started to speak.

"My father, Bail Organa, told me of my birth mother," she began, and narrowed her eyes a little bit when she saw him falter in his step. "He told me she was a good friend of his, and very beautiful. But sad, in her final days, he had said. Her name was Padmé."

"And what of your father?" Asked Anakin, although she noted that his voice seemed a little forced.

"Bail didn't say much about him, only that he was a Jedi Knight, and that he was dead," Leia said. Her voice took a more suspicious edge. "Why?"

"Curiosity, I suppose," he replied quietly, stepping over a root. Leia frowned.

"You knew him, didn't you," she stated, her anger bristling, feeling a strong protective urge for her dead birth parents. "Probably killed him too, while you were at it. Everyone knows that you killed off all the Jedi. Did you even give him a fighting chance? Or did you just choke him?"

Anakin stopped.

"I did not kill your father, Princess," he said calmly, though even a fool could see that his words were even more forced, and his calmness was false.

Leia didn't believe a word he said. She felt him shutting down, saw his body tensing, his facial features hardening. But at the current moment, Leia didn't care.

"Sure," she said, her voice taking a sarcastic edge. "Sure you didn't. Just like you didn't kill my mother. Bail told me you murdered her, and he was right."

Anakin turned around slowly. His jaw was clenched, his hands in fists at his side. Only then did Leia realize that she had crossed a line.

"I have done many things, but killing Padmé was not one of them. Your existence proves that."

"And why would that be?" Leia asked, genuinely confused.

"Because, I did not kill your father. Because, I _am_ your father."

Leia froze.

"No… That's not true."

Anakin looked into her eyes.

"Yes, it is. Can't you feel it?"

The thing that scared Leia most was that she _could_ feel it. She could feel that Anakin's (Vader's) words were true. And it scared her.

"No…" she said again, her denial surging through her mind while the little fire of truth grew bigger and hotter and—

"No!" She yelled finally, backing away. "You! You are a monster! Look at all that you have done! You've murdered millions, billions of innocent people, destroyed an entire planet— my home! And look at you now… Acting like some Jedi! Don't you remember? You killed all the Jedi! You killed them, you killed them all— and you cut off your own son's hand, for Sith's sake!"

Leia was shaking now, unbidden tears forming in her eyes.

"Look at all that you've done…" she whispered quietly, truly now, meeting his gaze.

And in his eyes, she could see pain. Wave after wave of pain and longing and guilt— a never-ending torrent of guilt as the man with a thousand weights on his shoulders finally fell to the ground, sunk down to his knees, and Leia could see the tears in his eyes, the tear tracks on his youthful face, and all the light she had seen had dimmed down, as if it was slowly seeping out of him. He was on the ground now, breathing heavily, his head down.

"You're right, Leia. I am a monster, and nothing, _nothing_ will ever change that."

Anakin shuddered as his shoulders shook, his twenty years in dark finally coming to light. He wept, wept for the past, wept for a future that he could have had, had he not been so utterly stupid and naive. Wept for a future in which he could have had two beautiful, amazing children and a wife. Wept for the people he had lost, for the _years_ he had lost…

Anakin felt Obi-Wan before he saw him. The ghost stepped through Anakin's emotional hurricane, calm, the eye of the storm. And when he laid a hand on Anakin's shoulder, time stopped.

"Don't blame yourself for everything, Anakin."

 _You are strong and wise Anakin, and I am very proud of you…_

 _Don't look back, don't look back…_

"I'm sorry," Anakin whispered. He looked up, meeting Leia's eyes. The storm stilled.

"I was brought back for a reason, Leia," he said. "My entire life, I— I need to do this. I must help Luke, for I won't be able to carry on if he repeats my mistakes. I don't deserve it, but Luke does. I need to do this, for him."

Leia analyzed the man standing in front of her. Her father, although she would never say that aloud. He was worn, and beaten down, and she felt his pain. Finally, she nodded.

"Fine," Leia declared, her eyes boring into his.

"Thank you," he replied, his voice strained.

And as they turned to walk the rest of the way, Leia heard him whisper the end to his unfinished thanks.

 _"_ _Daughter."_


End file.
